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mosaicism

American  
[moh-zey-uh-siz-uhm] / moʊˈzeɪ əˌsɪz əm /

noun

Biology.
  1. a condition in which an organism or part is composed of two or more genetically distinct tissues owing to experimental manipulation or to faulty distribution of genetic material during mitosis.


Etymology

Origin of mosaicism

First recorded in 1925–30; mosaic + -ism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This results in what is called "mosaicism," where genetically different cells occur within one individual.

From Science Daily

Clonal hematopoiesis, a variety of mosaicism that affects blood-forming cells and becomes more common with age, almost doubles the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease and boosts the risk of dying from any cause by 40%.

From Science Magazine

This mix of cell lines is called mosaicism.

From Scientific American

A first pregnancy is questioned when test results indicate abnormal chromosomes — mosaicism — in the unborn child.

From Seattle Times

But out of eight embryos edited using CRISPR, Rebrikov’s team found evidence of mosaicism in only three of them at the blastocyst stage, when they are 5 days old and have about 250 cells.

From Science Magazine